An afternoon at Canzine led to an unexpected connection with Blaise Moritz, a prolific zinester whose work blends abstract art and introspective storytelling.
I first had the pleasure of meeting Blaise Moritz in the fall of 2023 at Toronto’s Canzine. We were both vending and happened to share a table at the event. We spent the afternoon getting acquainted and chatting together.
Meeting Blaise for the first time, I could tell that he was a well-established “zinester”. I wasn’t familiar with his work, being fairly new to the Toronto scene, but the sheer volume of work available on his half of the table was impressive. As the day went on, it became more evident that he was a name that people knew. He had created a new zine especially for the event, and more than one person made the trip just to get the limited edition.
I felt quite honoured that we had happened to sit next to each other. Not only was the conversation engaging, but I had almost an unlimited amount of material to read from his side of the table as the afternoon went on. Most excitingly, Blaise had just published a new book, Bar Delicious (Conundrum Press), and I was excited to trade some of my work to go home with a copy at the end of the day.
Bar Delicious is described as “a meditation on consumption and desire in the context of the contemporary late capitalist and technological system”. The juxtaposition of Blaise’s unique style of abstract art with stylized lettering delivers a truly unique experience, asking questions around consumption, intentionality, and one’s position in modern culture.
Zero Songs, shared here, is another project where Blaise uses his unique style and design to deliver a simple yet thought-provoking experience, this time through four-panel comic-style art. Zero Songs were originally published as the back cover of The Test, Blaise’s regular publication.
Zero Songs’ abstract simplicity asks questions about the self and that self’s place in the world, and like Bar Delicious, the composition of words and art gives an impression of deep introspection. I enjoy Blaise’s art and creativity because it asks a single question and then leaves me with the task of ongoing analysis, often asking me to revisit that initial question time and again.
For more questions, abstractions, and introspection, I highly recommend digging deeper into the work of Blaise Moritz. He has an extensive library of zines available that are all very accessible. You can find Blaise slinging zines at events across Canada, visit his website at blaisemoritz.com, or follow him on Instagram at instagram.com/blaisemoritz
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